


you know i belong to you (and you belong to me)

by kimwexler



Category: Bill & Ted (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Ted loves Bill, so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24925006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimwexler/pseuds/kimwexler
Summary: bill and ted go to prom. ted gets jealous.
Relationships: Ted "Theodore" Logan & Bill S. Preston Esq., Ted "Theodore" Logan/Bill S. Preston Esq.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 157





	you know i belong to you (and you belong to me)

**Author's Note:**

> title from whitney houston's i belong to you!  
> (if you wanna listen to some fitting music, i created a playlist that fits the 80s prom vibe. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5T0fIkSUvz9RUjU9NupxUh?si=xZeq41TuSkWyAF6eNZD6Dw .. enjoy!)

Standing with his back against the bleachers and dressed in a white tuxedo, Ted Logan struggles to figure out what the big deal about prom was. Sure, the theming was pretty excellent, but that’s about all that could appreciate. Student council had gone all out with a ‘Paris Under the Stars’ theme, dotting the ceiling with twinkling lights and a paper-mache Eiffel Tower in the corner of the gym.

But not even the righteously planned theme could distract Ted with the total bogus-ness of the rest of the night. Although he had only been alive for fifteen and a half years at this point in time, Ted knew that this night would go down as one of the worst in history. 

The whole chain of events started a few weeks back. Stupidly, Ted decided that he should ask out Missy Irvine in front of the entire cheerleading squad and football team. 

One day after school, he and Bill had decided to skip out on their required algebra tutoring, instead opting to hang out under the bleachers. There they found the alt-crowd, who Bill and Ted knew they were probably too lame to be hanging with. 

As the kids passed around a cigarette, they bantered about the upcoming end of the year dance. They wanted to know who was going with who, and who was wearing what. It seemed like a strange thing for the group of goths, metalheads, and stoners to be discussing something that both Bill and Ted considered to be most trivial, but they went along with it anyway. 

They melted into the exchange, butting into a conversation they weren’t invited to, until Riker Davis, a senior and the school’s main pot supplier, points at Ted, and asked him who he was taking. Slightly stunned, Ted stammered out an answer, waving his hand towards his best friend, who was standing by his side. “Just going with Bill as a friend. You don’t gotta impress anyone if you’re going with your best bud, dude!” The duo then high-fived and fell into a fit of air guitar, only to emphasize their totally righteous friendship.

And even though both Bill and Ted found this to be a sufficient answer (mainly because it was truly how they felt), Riker and the rest of his friends just shook their heads, stifling laughs. 

“That’s kinda gay, bros,” said Riker, definitely meaning the mean, weird kind of gay, not the happy, normal kind. Well, Ted didn’t think gay was weird, he was just alright with anyone of the non-straight variety. He just wasn’t that. He wasn’t gay. 

In an attempt to cover their slight slip-up, Bill piped up. “Well, Ted was thinking about asking out Missy Irvine!” He said confidently, as like just the idea of asking out a girl was the most mainly and least gay thing a guy could do. But instead, the group of outcasts snickered- a little at the fact that Bill thought this would help, but mostly that Ted would think about asking out Missy Irvine. Missy Irvine, cheerleading captain, yearbook editor, and student government president. That Missy. With this Ted. 

Ted shot a dirty look at Bill. It was supposed to be a secret that Ted thought Missy was a total babe. Well, he wasn’t unique in this opinion of Missy being the most savory girl at school, he just wanted it to be kept between the two of them.

“That’s really funny, Logan,” said Riker, as he took the cigarette from the heavily-pierced girl next to him. “You should go for it,” the metal-faced girl then said, in a low and cold voice. “You’re a catch, honey.” 

Ted doesn’t read the dishonorable and teasing tone in her sentence, instead hearing this as a form of encouragement. “Really?” He asked, tilting his head, considering the possibility, that he was in fact ‘a catch.’ 

Everyone agreed with faux enthusiasm, bobbing their heads and grinning in a teasing manner. (Except for Bill, who genuinely believed that Ted was indeed a most spectacular guy and friend, and any babe would be very lucky to have him.) And with this, Ted decided that he’d ask Missy out.   


The group of band-shirt wearing teens craned their necks to peek through the bleachers as Ted stupidly marched towards the cheer girls. They were on their break, sipping their water bottles, chatting amongst themselves. When the lanky freshman approached them, they had nothing else to do but listen as he greeted them. “Good afternoon, beautiful babes of San Dimas high!” He said with a Ted-ish smile. “Your cheers sound most excellent from the bleachers! You must be preparing for the next season!”

The girls looked at Ted, trying to hide their utter confusion and aversion towards the boy who was talking to them. Eventually, Missy, being the captain of the squad, decided that she was going to have to be the one to address this situation. By this time, the football players had gathered around too, interested in the random boy who had appeared on the field, interrupting their practice. Missy stood up, trying to dismiss them. 

“Thank you. We are preparing for the state championships. But we’re very busy, though, so I think we’re going to have to get back to practicing though.” She said with a soft, nurturing smile. “You’re welcome to watch though!” 

Missy figured he’s just another nerdy freshman who just wanted to watch the girls practice. No harm in that, she thought, as the rest of the girls stand to resume their spots on the sideline.   


Just as she turned her back, though, Ted called back out to her, mustering the last bit of courage he had. “Hey, wait Missy!” He said, striding towards her clumsily, snaking around the other girls on the squad. “Would you go to prom with me?”

As the rest of the girls giggled at the underclassman, Ted reddened with embarrassment, knowing instantly he had messed up. He prepared himself for the instant, hard-hitting blow from Missy, but instead, she just turned around with a sigh, smiling in the same way she was earlier. Almost like a mother. “What’s your name?” She asked gently.   


“Ted. Ted Logan.” He managed to choke out. 

“Thank you, Ted, but I think you’re a little young for me.” She said in a soft voice, and the same, caring smile. “Thank you for asking though. You seem like a very nice boy.”

Ted nodded curtly in an awkward response, and glumly returned to his spot under the bleachers, ignoring the sounds of the sneering cheerleaders and football players, and in turn, Missy reprimanding them. God, Ted thought, during his walk of shame. Why couldn’t Missy be a normal teenage girl and try and hurt him? 

By the time he arrived back under the bleachers, the small group of weirdos was in complete stitches, laughing at Ted. Except for Bill, who stood with his hands in his pockets and his mouth in a straight line. “Good try, Ted,” Bill said shyly, which only makes the rest of the kids laugh harder. “Yeah, good try!” They echoed.

Walking home, Ted and Bill don’t talk about the incident at all, mainly because Ted is close to tears, and Bill doesn’t like it when Bill cries. Wordlessly, though, they decide they’ll go to prom anyway, with each other, as dudes, just as planned. Screw those dickweeds. They were going to have fun anyways. 

But now, as Ted currently stands in the school gym, he can only think about how little fun he is having. He is having a very, very bogus time. Especially now that Bill had wandered off to get snacks for the two of them at the Arc de Triumph food table, leaving Ted on his own. Standing alone, he wants to be home even more. 

It only gets worse when Bill, with an armful of pseudo-French snacks, runs into Heather Liu on the dance floor. All three of them were in Spanish class together, and Ted knew that Bill most definitely had a thing for Heather. So when Heather asks Bill to dance by extending her hand to him, Ted expects to feel happy for his friend, but he instead just feels all twisted up inside. 

Bill was Ted’s best friend, not Heather’s, so why did she get to hang out with him and dance with him in this moment? Ted curses whoever made up the idea that dudes could only dance with babes. What a bogus rule. Best friends should be able to spend their dances together, not two almost strangers.

Ted wallows in this thought, glumly watching as the rest of the student body switches over to a sweet, slow dance. Now everyone was definitely partnered up, and Ted was still tucked to the side, fiddling with the buttons of his suit jacket. 

The awkwardness seems to be eating him alive, and it totally feels like everyone is staring at him, while in reality, everyone is just lost in their romantic dance. If Ted was a bad friend, he would swoop in, and tell Bill it was time to go. But that would be a real bonehead move, and Ted knew he wouldn’t like it if Bill did the same. He can recognize how much Bill dug Heather from Spanish, so he forces himself to stay cool on the bleachers. If I was with a babe, I wouldn’t want Bill to interrupt me! He thinks.

Well. Maybe not. Bill is way more important than any babe. Duh. And a lot more fun. 

For what seems like hours, Ted sits on the bleachers, trying to ignore the anxious, knotting feeling in his gut. Eventually, the dance comes to a close, with the overhead lights flickering on, and Bill is forced to leave his new lover’s side. Ted watches as his friend trickily leans up to Heather’s cheek and gives her a kiss goodbye. (Their height difference is staggering, even with Bill’s recent growth spurt.)

Bill then bebops his way to the bleachers, a goofy grin spread across his face. “Hey, dude!” He says hazily, as the rest of the kids slip around him and out the open doors. “I haven’t seen you all night!”

“Ditto,” says Ted in a tired voice, hopping down from his previous position. “I’m most ready to go home.”   


They had decided the night before that they were going to spend the night at Bill’s house. Even though Ted doesn’t really feel like seeing Bill the rest of tonight, he knows he’s stuck. 

On the walk home, Ted listens as Bill gushes about his handful of dances with Heather, and for some reason, instead of being happy for his esteemed pal, he just feels bothered about the idea of it… Bill having a girlfriend. A babe. 

Ted wants one too. A girlfriend. If Bill is going to have one, he needed to have one too, to match his other half. That way, if Bill went on dates with Heather, Ted could follow along with a babe of his own. That way he was still spending time with his girlfriend and best, most esteemed pal.

The issue is, though, Ted doesn’t really want a babe. He doesn’t want to have to call a girl, or buy her gifts, or take her to school dances. He doesn’t want to kiss her or do other things with her either. It all seemed so unnatural to Ted. But now that Bill had one, he needed one too. To keep the symmetry. 

Ted thinks about this for the entire twenty-minute walk home, and eventually, they’re back at Bill’s house, in the safety and quiet of his bedroom. By this time, Bill still hasn’t cooled it about Heather, continuing to gush over every detail… how she smelled like bubblegum and looked so savory in her purple dress, which Bill describes as 'lavender chiffon.'

Ted wants to rip his own head off.

“What do you wanna do for the rest of the night?” Says Ted as they sit down on Bill’s king-sized bed, trying to switch the conversation to something that didn’t start with an H and end with an -eather.

“Huh?” Says Bill with the tilt of his head, confused as to why his friend would cut him off. “Very uncool. I was talking about my babe, dude.”

“Yeah, I know,” says Ted with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. “Sorry. I just think it’s time for a change of subject. No more babe talk.”

“Why not, dude?” Bill says earnestly, propping his head upon his hands, looking at his best friend. He must then realize something, as his face lights up into a bright smile. “Hey!” He says as if he’s discovered an excellent secret. “You’re jealous, dude! You’re jealous that I got to dance with a babe at our first prom and you didn’t!”

He doesn’t say this to be mean, just meaning to lightheartedly poke fun at his best friend. His best friend, who always seemed to come out on top when it came to the babe population, was finally beat out! Bill laughs, jabbing Ted in the side. “Oh, Ted!” He says with a sly smile. “You’ll just have to share me!”

And even though he means to break Ted into a smile, Ted turns on his side coldly. “Fuck off, dude,” he says quietly. 

The two boys sit in silence, with Bill absorbing Ted’s words, and Ted trying not to combust with embarrassment. Eventually, it’s too much for the taller boy, and he slides off the bed and retreats into the adjacent bathroom.

Ted sits on the edge of the bathtub, his head rested on his knees, trying not to think about how absolutely stupid he sounded in response to Bill’s simple wisecrack. Bill was only meaning to joke around, but for some reason, it hit a nerve. Several nerves, actually, because now Ted feels like crying in his friend’s bathtub. Bill was his for as long as he could remember. He didn't want to share Bill, let alone with a babe. That just couldn't happen.

Just as he’s about to scoot into the shower/tub duo and let himself loose, he hears a knock at the door. “Hey, Ted….” Says Bill in a slight voice. “Are you okay, dude?”   


Ted considers ignoring him, to resume his porcelain-surrounded pity party, but he decides this would only make things worse. “Uh-huh,” He says slightly, not feeling mighty enough to choke anything else out. 

Bill must take this as a ‘come in,’ because he cracks the door open, positioning his head between the door and doorframe. His eyebrows are furrowed, eyes glinting with deep regret. “I was being an asshole.”  


Ted doesn’t respond, instead just giving a slow shake of his head. He wants to tell Bill that he wasn’t being all that mean, Ted was just sensitive. Delicate. Afraid to be hurt, stomped on. 

“Just ‘cuz I have a lady friend now doesn’t mean I’d forget you, Ted. You come first, always, dude. You know that right?” Bill says, pulling Ted out of his thoughts, now crouching next to him by the tub. Still, Ted remains quiet, only puzzling Bill further.

Once again, they fall into a wordless lull, and Ted swears he can hear Bill’s mind turning with thought. Bill must figure out whatever he was pondering, though, because he stands up with a start, and leaves the bathroom. 

That’s that then, thinks Ted, returning to his original position in the tub. Just as he’s about to reach out for a bleach-stained towel to use as a blanket, he’s disturbed by a loud swell of music coming from the next room over. Bill’s room. 

For some reason, Ted feels like this music is for him. Like a bowl of cream left out for an injured kitten. 

As much as he’d like to continue hiding away, Ted slowly gets up and leaves the bathroom, making sure to check out his flushed face in the mirror before facing Bill. He still looks upset, with his eyes slightly teary and cheeks way redder than he would like them to be, but there’s not much he could do about either of those things. He opts to rub his face with the sleeve of his dress shirt, which was already slightly damp from the tears before. Doesn’t matter anyway. It was just Bill. Bill who had a girlfriend now. 

When Ted finds his blonde friend in his bedroom, he feels like he’s walked in on something intimate that he wasn’t meant to witness. Like walking in on your parents having sex, or seeing a nun without her habit. 

But instead of being caught without a piece of essential clothing, Bill just looks vulnerable in and open, standing in front of his full-length mirror, and pulling on his white suit jacket. “Hey,” says Bill over the square-ish pop music, which surprised Ted. He didn’t even know they owned an album so popular. “Pull your jacket back on.”

Ted looks down at his waist. There lies the jacket that he had wrapped around his waist when he released that prom was a total bust, and there was no one left to impress. He wants to challenge Bill, but he senses a tone of earnestness in the request. Ted shrugs on the cheap polyester thing, and then stands silently to wait for Bill’s next move.

Bill finishes fiddling with his tie in the mirror, then turns to his friend. “Ready?” He says with a turn of his head. 

Ted looks around, wondering if he’s missing something. Like if there was someone else in the room, waiting on Bill’s gentle question. “For what?” He says with a rough swallow. 

Bill just smiles brightly, holding out his hand. “We’re gonna give you a prom, dude! You didn’t get to dance with a babe before, so now you’ve got your chance!” He must register Ted’s confused stare, so he waves in front of his body. “I don’t have any babes here, obviously, but I’m here!” 

Even with Bill’s attempt at clarification, Ted still struggles to figure out the gesture. “Dudes don’t dance with dudes, though.” 

Bill tilts his head to the side, considering this with a hum. “Yeah, but this is different, I think.”

“It is?” Ted murmurs, almost as if he’s trying to convince himself. 

“Yeah. It is.” Bill says earnestly as if he didn’t understand how anyone could be confused at this simple idea. “See it as practice, dude. For when you have a babe, too.” 

This makes sense to Ted, in a weird type of way that would only make sense to the two of them. “I dunno how to dance, though, dude,”

He knows Bill does know how to dance, though. He had been attending debutante balls and formal events for as long as he had been walking, taking time out of their usual hang-out time to dress up in child-sized tuxedos and gloves. Those things just come naturally when your dad is one of the premier lawyers in the San Dimas area. Although now, Ted wishes that Bill had drug him along to one, so he would have an idea of what he was doing on the dance floor. Or in this case, Bill’s hardwood bedroom floor, which, now that he thinks about it, Ted feels embarrassed for being so nervous. 

“Hey!” Says Bill, knocking Ted out of his thoughts. “Come here. I’ll show you. It’s easy.”   


Bill says this so easily, and moves just as effortlessly, slipping his hand into Ted’s, and raising their joined palms into position. 

“Your hands are sweaty, dude,” Bill says teasingly, impishly grinning up at his friend. And as much as Ted wants to break their grasp and rub his hand dry on his shirt, he knows that this feeling buzzing in his chest is once in a lifetime. Letting go would kill that buzz. He’s not going to let go. 

Bill leads the two boys in a simple step, swaying to the pop music coming from the record player. They’ve always been aware of their obvious height difference, with Ted picking on Bill constantly, but now it’s even more emphasized as Bill steers the dance. Wordlessly, not wanting to offend his dance partner, Ted wonders how this must be a total sight to see. Two dudes dancing, with an almost a foot of a height difference. He hides his smile by looking to the side and away from Bill, with Ted not quite sure if he’s smiling out of amusement or pure joy. 

They move together for a little longer, with Bill pointing out certain steps and turns, but eventually, they shift into a comfortable sway. No longer learning any new dances or styles, just oscillating in sync, enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies. At least that’s how Ted feels, basking in the glory of the cordial holding his best friend's hand. 

He doesn’t even think he can hear the music anymore, drowning out the cheesy crooning of New Order, The Clash, and whatever else the disc jockey would be spinning at a real prom. It just Bill and Ted now, Ted and Bill, moving together with their own rhythm, their own invented cadence. Ted doesn’t even have any inkling of nerves anymore, all anxiety pushed out of his stomach to make room for a romantic, blooming feeling. He wonders if this would be considered ‘butterflies.’ How strange to be feeling butterflies for a dude. Especially when that dude is his best friend Bill.   
  
  
Ted’s pondering is interrupted once he realizes Bill is humming. Ted takes this as a sign of comfort, a sign of contentment, and instinctively rests his head on top of his friend's sun-drenched set of curls. No one says anything. There’s not much to say anyway.

Eventually, the selected vinyl starts to crackle, signaling both an end to the record and their dance together. The lack of music only breeds an awkward silence, with the two of them bating their breath and countless questions. 

Bill is the one to pull away, leaning back from his friend, and wearing a goofy smile on his face.

“What?” Ted says, tilting his head, slightly puzzled. He can’t help to smile back at Bill though, although confused. It was hard not to smile back at his best friend.

“There! Now you’ve had your first prom dance!” Says Bill, placing his hands on his hips, still clothed in the cheap rental suit. “Sorry it wasn’t with a babe, though. Next time.” 

“Next time.” Agrees Ted, then taking a second to revel at Bill, because for a second, Bill was no one’s but Ted’s. Even his curls were slightly flattened by the weight of Ted’s head. How excellent was that?

  
They spend the rest of the night almost combined at the hip, experiencing a new kind of closeness that best friends don’t usually encounter. Neither of them say anything about it, instead choosing to ignore the shrinking distance between their bodies. Suddenly, Ted isn’t too worried about Bill having a new babe in his life. Deep down, he knows he’ll always be the first person Bill calls when he wakes up, and the one telling him ‘goodnight, see you tomorrow, dude.’

In the end, it’ll always be Bill and Ted, Ted and Bill. Best friends, each other's forever.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter at @mostexceIIent! (the two Ls are Is cuz i'm sneaky)


End file.
